Tire-chain fastener



J. E. NELSON TIRE CHAIN FASTENER Filed y 28, 1924 2 Sheen-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,541

J. E. NELSON TIRE CHAIN 'FASTENER Filed May 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I INVENTOR W I BY m a ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented Dec. 9, 1924,

JOHN ENAB- NELSON, OF BUCYR-US, NORTH DAKOTA.

Application filed May as,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. Nntson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bucyrus, in the county of Adams and State of North Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tire-Chain Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is the provision of a tire-chain'fastener of simple and inexpensive construction, susceptible of ready manipulation and adapted incident to its manipulation to take up slack of or tighten a tire-chain.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the in'iprovement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings. forming part of this specification Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing one embodiment of my invention as open.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing sail embodiment closed.

Figure 3 is a perspective showing the said embodiment as closed and also showing the manner in which a screwdriver is used when it is desired to open the device.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a modification in open state. Figure 5 is a longitudinal section showing said embodiment as closed.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the same.

Similar numerals designate corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 3 to which reference will first be made.

Portions of a tire-chain are designated by 1 and 2, and the body 3 of my novel fastener is connected at 1 in permanent fashion to the portion 1. The said body 3 is closed at one longitudinal edge 5 and is provided with spaced side walls 6 and is also provided with a heel wall 7. At its forward end, the body 3 is provided with co-incident notches 8 in its side walls, the walls 9 of the said notches being rounded to provide flaring mouths for the notches 8 as illustrated. It will also be noticed that the forward end of one of the side walls 6 is recessed at its edge as designated by 10 for the arrangement of a screwdriver or the like 11 in the manner shown in Figure 3, for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

In addition to the body 3, the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 comprises swingable members 12 and 13. The said members 12 and TIRE-CHAIN FASTE NE-R.

1824. Serial No. 716,469.

13 are pivotally connected at 14. between the ranged as shown to the notch 15 so that when the members 12 and 13 are disposed as shown in Figures 2 and 3 theend link of the portion 2 will be securely leldbetween the two members. It will also be noticed that the member 13 is provided with aback edge flange 17 which flange 17 adapted to bear against the adjacent edge of the member 12 and is also adapted to extend over and be spaced from the bottom wall of the' recess 10 as clearly appears in Figure 3. From this latter it will be understood that when the fastener is closed and it is desired to open the same a screwdriver or the like may be used as a prying instrument against the said flange 17 to start the opening of the fastener, the end link of the general portion 2 in that case being caused to ride over the rounded portions 9 of the body 3.

In the practical use of the embodiment described, it will be manifest that when the member 12 is arranged at an angle to the body 3 and is engaged with the end link of the chain portion 2, and is then swung into substantial alignment with the body 3 as appears in Figure l, the chain portion 2 will be connected with the portion 1 and at the same time slack of the chain will be taken up. Then when the member 13 is swung from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figures 2 and 3 the chain portion 2 will be securely locked in the fastener so that there will be no liability whatever of the chain portion 2 being casually released. In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6 the body 3" is con nected at 4 permanently to one end portion 1 of a chain, and is designed to be detachably connected to the opposite end portion 2 of the chain. The said body 3 is closed at one longitudinal edge 5 and is provided with side walls 6*. These side walls 6 are provided with co-incident transverse apertures 10 and are also provided with (so-incident notches 8 and 8 In addition to the body 10 the modification comprises a swingable member 13, ivoted at 14* between the side walls 6 and designed to be swung from the position is provided with a notch 16 relatively ar-''' receive the bolt that connects to the chain portion 1, and is also notched as indicated 1i by 16 being adapted to he swung into ooincidence with and to close the body notches 8 and the notch 16 being adapted to be swung into co-incidence with and close the notch .8. It will also be noticed that two notches are provided in the member 13 and two pairs of notches are provided in the body 3 so that more or less slack of the chain may be taken up as is necessary. It will also be noticed in this embodiment that the starting movement of the swingable member 13 may be adapted by introducing the end of a screwdriver or the like through one of the openings 10 so as. to permit of the use of the screwdriver as a prying instrument in opening the fastener. Manifestly when the member 13 is engaged with the chain portion 2 and is swung into closed position slack of the chain will be taken up and the chain portion 2 will be securely held to the fastener without liability of casual release. In fact in both embodiments of my invention, pull on the chain portion 2 in a direction away from the fastener will operate to hold the swingable member or ."iembers in alignment or substantial align ment with the body.

In addition to the advantages ascribed to the two embodiments of my invention, it will be noted that each embodiment is both compact and strong in construction.

I have specifically described the preferred embodiments of my invention in order to fully disclose the same. I do not desire, however to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction and relative arrangement of parts as set forth inasmuch as changes may be made within the scope of my appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1s:

1. A chain fastener comprising a body having side walls and a closed edge and also having co-incident notches in said side walls and an aperture in one side wall for the introduction of a prying instrument, and a swingable member pivoted between the side walls of the body and having a notch to receive a chain-portion, said notch arranged when. the swingable member is closed to close the notch of the body.

2. A chain fastener comprising a body having spaced side walls and aback edge wall and also having co-incident notches in the ends of its side walls and a recess in one edge of one side wall at the end thereof, and swingable members pivoted between the side walls of the body and having relatively arranged notches adapted to close each other, one of said swingable members having on its back edge a flange adapted to over hang the bottom. wall of the recess in the body wall, and the notches of the swingable members adapted to close the notches in the side walls of the body.

3. A chain fastener comprising a body having spaced side walls and a closed edge and also having an opening in one of its side walls adjacent to said back edge wall and further having notches in its side walls.,. and a swmgable member pivotally connect-' ed between the side walls'of the body and having a notch adapted in the closed posi tion of said swingable member to close the notches in the side walls of the body.

In testimony whereof I afIiX mv signature.

JOHN ENAR NELSON. 

